


great minds think alike (but fools rarely differ)

by Lyss2011



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Fluff and Crack, Gen, Magic Revealed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2020-04-12 13:06:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19132630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyss2011/pseuds/Lyss2011
Summary: So, like an idiot, he had decided to come clean about the magic.And Arthur waslaughing at him.





	great minds think alike (but fools rarely differ)

**Author's Note:**

> I thought I prompted this on the kink meme in which case I'm filling my own prompt, but I don't see it there so maybe it was all a dream. It centered around the idea that when Arthur said "Merlin, you don't have magic. I would know," it was actually the truth.

Everything had been fine before Camelot. Seriously. Gaius’ books said that latent magical ability could show up sometime around puberty or up to a few years after but Merlin just felt like it had come on so suddenly that he didn’t know what to do. 

In truth, it made him angry. Why hadn’t his magic flared up when he and his mum were practically freezing to death that one winter? Why hadn’t it popped in to save Will when he was hauled off by Cenred’s men to pay off his father’s debt?

No, of course it had to express itself in front of the entire court of Camelot, a kingdom infamous for its treatment – ahem, murder – of sorcerers. Of. Course. 

On the plus side, he hadn’t been murdered or arrested. 

On the other, he’d been ‘awarded’ the great honor of being Prince Arthur’s servant. Meaning he would always be at his side and would constantly have to keep his new magic hidden. He should’ve let the dagger hit its mark; then he wouldn’t be in this situation.

-

His magic was…temperamental, at best. At least it seemed to work in a crisis, but honestly, would it hurt to work at least _once_ when he practiced in his room so he could grin about it for a bit? It was hard trying not to look happy in the middle of a bandit fight or something when one of his branch-breaking spells worked. It made him feel like he was actually useful for once.

After a time, Merlin realized his magic was more instinctual than spell driven. One time when they were on patrol, he’d been trying his hardest to light a fire with wet wood and it had just – poof. Erupted in flames. He had looked up nervously but found no one but Arthur was paying him and the fire any attention, and Arthur didn’t look upset. 

He’d stayed up all night one time, working on the spell that would turn painted snakes into real ones with absolutely no success. As soon as Arthur fought Valiant in the ring? Bam, it worked. 

And when the poultice he had placed in Gwen's home to save her father turned out to be magical, it was clear that he'd done it again without realizing it. It had been easy to give himself up for that. He wasn't about to let Gwen die because of something Merlin had done; the way his magic was behaving this would just move up his death sentence by a few weeks. Of course, Arthur didn't believe him even when he stated it outright, telling the entire court Merlin was in love with Gwen when he was _not_.

Just the night before, though, he had been trying and trying to enchant the spears Arthur and his men were using against the griffin, to no success. And when he'd finally done it, when Lancelot rode in to save the day, he saw Arthur, awake and surprisingly alert, in the light of the glowing spear. Arthur hadn't said anything yet, but he did look suspicious when Lance left after a private discussion with Merlin. 

So, like an idiot, he had decided to come clean about the magic.

And Arthur was _laughing at him_.

\---

Arthur had a very strict rule regarding his manservants. They could never last more than a month, and rarely lasted even a fortnight.

Somehow, this had all gone to hell when Merlin was assigned as his manservant. The boy was clearly an idiot who couldn't complete basic chores, and was so oblivious to his surroundings that Arthur sometimes wondered whether he was under an enchantment. 

Before he knew it though, Merlin had been in his service for two months and had fought -er, cowered- by his side through several battles. Sometimes, Arthur would catch Merlin's eyes on him, and he would tense, but his manservant would just shake his head slightly as if to wake himself from a trance, and finish whatever chore he was supposed to be completing. 

That wasn't to say that Arthur only kept Merlin for his oblivious nature. He was actually useful in researching magical creatures with Gaius, and imparting important information in the midst of his daily blabber. It was a pity he would have to fire him after all; he'd grown used to this stumbling idiot following him around like a shadow. 

"Arthur?" Merlin asked, the night after the griffin was defeated.

"Yes, Merlin?" he replied lazily, staring into the hearth.

"I, um." He was blinking stupidly at Arthur. "I...have magic. I'm a sorcerer." Immediately he bowed his head, stiff-backed and trembling like a leaf. 

Arthur choked on air. This was—he couldn't have _dreamt_ this conversation, let alone imagined it as a possibility when Merlin had asked to talk to him. 

"Merlin, you don't have magic. I would know." He hoped Merlin wouldn't see the smile he was holding back. 

Merlin’s head shot up. “But–but–but things are happening Arthur! Things I want to happen _happen_. And I can’t control it. Not that I haven’t tried, because I have, but it only seems to work in certain situations and it’s terrifying, living here never knowing what will happen or when Uther will find out and _murder_ me—”

Arthur's laughter died in his throat. 

"Merlin... Do some magic for me, then. Prove to me that you're a big bad sorcerer." 

"Weren't you listening?" Merlin exclaimed. "I can't! It's unpredictable and it's just as likely that I'd set you on fire or nothing would happen!" The poor boy was practically tearing his hair out over this, and Arthur had to resist the urge to wrap his arms around him to calm him. 

"Alright, then watch me carefully and try to picture a," he searched his mind for a good spell. "A ball of light. Floating right in between us." 

Merlin's face became a mask of concentration, focusing his eyes on Arthur's chest as if he could create something with the power of his mind. Not out of the question, but not within his power either. 

Arthur focused, and created the ball of light swirling between them. 

"See!" Merlin exclaimed, though he'd jumped when the light appeared. 

"Look me in the eyes, Merlin," Arthur told him, and let his eyes wash gold. 

“Wh—but—I don’t—” 

“ _I’m_ the sorcerer, Merlin.”

“ _You’re_ — you prat! All this time I thought I was about to be killed but it was actually _you_? I thought- I thought you might arrest me for even daring to bring this up before you and I really like my position here, I like spending time with you and Morgana and Gwen—”

“Merlin,” Arthur said, sinking into his chair. “I am going to have to fire you, now that you know.”

“What?! But I’m trustworthy! I can- I’m basically harmless, no one would believe my word over yours! In fact, if you were caught doing magic Uther’d probably blame it on me anyway…” His voice trailed off in realization, and Arthur raised an eyebrow to emphasize his point.

"Yes. I suspect Gaius might kill me if I get you falsely accused of magic. It'll be much less dangerous for you to work for him instead." 

"What, and have your new manservant find out?" 

"With any luck, he'll be just as thick as you," Arthur managed to grin. For all his incompetence, he would miss seeing Merlin every day.

"Unacceptable," Merlin declared. "It's safer for you if I'm your manservant."

"And it's safer for you if you're not!"

"Just _try_ to get rid of me," the stubborn idiot responded. 

Arthur leveled him with a glare. "Merlin, I have powers you can't-" he broke off in thought, "Well, I guess you _can_ dream of. The point is, I can forcibly remove you from this room without lifting a finger."

"I'll just come right back," Merlin fired back, true to form. 

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Fine. But until your sword work gets substantially better, you're not coming on hunts and trips with me. I need to know you can at least defend yourself from a substandard bandit."

"I've survived this long!" Merlin protested, rubbing his right arm like he could already feel the post-practice ache. 

"Because. I. Was. Protecting. You. You. Idiot!" Arthur said, carefully pronouncing every word. 

"Oh." 

"Yes, 'oh.'"

"Wow, I guess we think alike, huh? You did exactly what I would have done, if I had magic."

"Does that make you a great mind, or me a fool?" Arthur pondered aloud.

"Why not both?" 

Arthur threw a goblet at him and grinned when Merlin dodged. "Wake me up early tomorrow, we'll get your practice in before the knights'."

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, kudos and criticism welcome! <3


End file.
